


Through the Lookin' Glass

by Malcolm Reynolds (FanficbyLee)



Category: Firefly, Serenity
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-05-22
Updated: 2006-05-22
Packaged: 2017-11-05 02:31:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/401477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FanficbyLee/pseuds/Malcolm%20Reynolds





	Through the Lookin' Glass

Mal Reynolds  
Serenity - After the movie  
Author - [](http://sanguinepen.livejournal.com/profile)[**sanguinepen**](http://sanguinepen.livejournal.com/)  
Word Count - 452  
Rating - PG  
Prompt - Library 8/100 for [](http://joss100.livejournal.com/profile)[**joss100**](http://joss100.livejournal.com/)  
X Posted to - [](http://firefly-fiction.livejournal.com/profile)[**firefly_fiction**](http://firefly-fiction.livejournal.com/) and [](http://fanficbylee.livejournal.com/profile)[**fanficbylee**](http://fanficbylee.livejournal.com/)

“Are you sure this is worth it?” Mal whispered to Simon as they both crouched low behind the books, real paper books that filled the shelves of the governor’s library from floor to ceiling. “I mean, ain’t any of these as good as the others? Why is that one gorram book worth so much more than the others?” Mal wasn’t illiterate by any means. He often spent his time reading in his cabin or some other private place on Serenity while everyone else was about their business. He played at being the uneducated rube to pull the wool over folk’s eyes, but he was far from Jayne stupid. “Real books like these is all worth some fine cashy money in the right places.”

Simon held up his hand to hush Mal’s grumbling like he was scolding a petulant child. “Do I need to remind you…”

“Please lord not again,” Mal let out a snort. “I do not to need to hear about how much better we scored when you planned the heist. I just want to know what gorram book is so much more special than any of these. I came in here, riskin’ my life and my ship, on a promise from you that it’d be worth it. I conjured we’d be grabbin’ least a few of these fine tomes. But now you tell me we’re only after the one book.”

“Look,” Simon let out a ragged sigh. “We can grab more on the way out. But the one I want isn’t for sale.”

“Now it is comin’ clearer and clearer why you only wanted me to come with you, so as Jayne didn’t lumber about and break your neck. What the ruttin’ hell do you mean it ain’t for sale. Sellin’ what we steal is the whole idea, ain’t it?” He was about ready to grab quite a few books right then and there, leaving the boy on his own to find his way back to Serenity. But Mal didn’t want to conjure how much that’d hurt River and Kaylee.

“It’s River’s favorite book, Mal. I want it for her birthday.” He ran his fingers through his sable dark hair, and cast pleading eyes at the older man who he respected more than he’d ever let on. “It’s a real copy from the earth that was of Through the Looking Glass.”

“Well if it’s a gift for the little one, then that’s just shiny. But we will be takin’ more to sell, understood?” Mal popped open the large canvas bag that he’d rolled up beneath his Browncoat, and started shoving a few titles that he recognized in it. “Now you go find Alice, while I finish up gettin’ some inventory.”


End file.
